Game apparatus.



E. G. CUSACK.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. 1914.

1,1 09,203. Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

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E. G. CUSACK.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLLGATION TILED MAR. 24. 1914.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

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WIT/YES SE51 THE ACRRIS PETERS ca. PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON. D. C,

EDWARD C CUSACK, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GAME arraaa'rus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

Application filed March 24, 1914. Serial No. 827,500. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDVJARD (1 Custom a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to games wherein a set of balls are caused to roll into recesses extending in various directions so that the tilt of the board will permit only one ball to enter one recess when the board is tilted at a certain angle and will cause the other balls to roll out of their respective recesses excepting under certain conditions, and the objects of my invention are first, to provide a game for amusementpurposes; and sec- 0nd, to provide a game that will increase the skill of the player in causing the board to tilt at an angle which will cause a ball to travel in a certain direction. T accomplish these several features by means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specifications wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the said specification and drawings, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the game with;

a portion of the cover removed which covers the recesses, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line X X of Fig. 1, disclosing one of the balls temporarily secured within one of the recesses and another ball about to roll into another recess, also the manner in which the gates are pivotally secured within the recesses and are provided each with a flag normally resting within the tower, and the manner in which the said flag is displayed when one of the balls is successfully lodged within one of the said recesses.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 is used to designate aboard having sides 2 for the purpose of preventing the balls from rolling off the said board. A vertical wall 3 is secured to the board and bent in the form of a Maltese cross thereby forming a plurality of recesses 4 above the plane of the board 1, which face away from each other so that when the board 1 is tilted at a slight angle only one of the balls 14 can roll into one of the recesses 4. Within each recess 4 is a slight indentation 5 which, while somewhat exaggerated in the drawings, is only sufficient to retain one of the balls and pre vent the same from rolling out of the said indentation 5 when the board 1 is approximately horizontal or tilted at a very slight angle. To the wall 8 on each side of each recess 4, are pivotally suspended the gates 6 having the flags 7 secured thereto. The weight of the gate 6 is such that it will partially counterbalance the flag 7, the said flag being composed of paper or other similar light material, the normal position of the said flag 7 being inside of the tower 9 secured to the cover 8. The cover 8 is provided with the slots 10 which extend into the said tower 9 and are provided for the emergence of the flags .7 when a ball 14 has entered a recess 4 and engaged one of the gates 6. A suitable roof or top 12 surmounts the tower 9.

l/Vhen the board 1 is slightly tilted the balls 14, four. in number, will roll to the lower side of the said board 1. It is the object of the game to roll the balls 14 one at a time into the recesses 4, and lodge the said balls 14 within the indentations 5 and against the gates 6 which will cause a flag 7 to emerge through the slot 10 of the tower 9 and indicate that a ball 14 has been successfully lodged within an indentation 5. Should the player,in,-endeavoring to roll a ball 14 into a diametrically opposite recess 4, tilt the board at too great an angle the ball 14 which has already been lodged in the slight indentation 5 will roll out of the said indentation and the recess 4 thereby allowing the flag 7 to drop back into the tower 9. After one of the balls 14 has been lodged against the pivoted gate 6 and in the indentatio-n 5, by careful manipulation of the board 1 so as not to tilt the same at too great an angle, a player may, one after the other, carefully lodge the remaining balls 14 within the indentations 5 of the other recesses 4 causing the pivoted gates 6 to swing the flags 7 into an upright position through slots 10 of the tower 9. The recesses 4 are of sufficient width to allow a ball 14 to roll thereinto with a slight clearance but is not large enough for two balls to roll in. It is evident that when the board 1 is tilted that all of the balls 14 will roll to the lowermost side of the said board 1 and lodge in the corner formed by the sides 2 with the said board 1. In tilting the board in the opposite direction for the purpose of causing one of the balls 14 to roll into the nearest recess, 4 all of the said balls being of the same specific gravity will tend to travel the same path together. As only one ball 14 can enter a recess 4C, and by a clear path, that is to say, without any other ball or obstruction to diverge the said ball from its path, it is evident that all of the balls are apt to be deflected away from the said recess, when all of the balls will rapidly roll along the walls 3 into the lowermost corner of the board. It is also evident that when one or more of the balls 14 has been carefully lodged in one or more indentations 5, that endeavoring to lodge the remaining ball or balls 14: within the remaining indentations, if the operator is too careless and the board is tilted at too great an angle, one or more of the balls 1% already lodged will roll out of their respective indentations and before the game is completed will have to be restored thereto.

It is obvious from the foregoing that I have provided a game suitable for amusement purposes and also one that will tend to increase the skill of the operator in tilting the board to an angle which will cause a ball to travel in the desired direction.

The details of construction are so susceptible to variation that I do not wish to confine myself to the precise construction shown herein but rather to avail myself of any modifications that may properly fall within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A. game comprising a board having sides thereon; a vertical wall secured to the board and bent to form oppositely faced recesses therein and above the plane of the board; a gate pivotally secured within each recess and having a flag secured thereto; a plurality of balls arranged to enter one of the recesses one at a time and display the flag secured to the pivoted gate; and means within each recess arranged to retain a ball therein when the board is held approximately horizontal.

2. A game comprising a board having sides thereto; four freely rolling balls rolling on the board and within the sides thereof; a vertical wall secured to the board and bent to form four oppositely faced recesses; indentations within the board and within each recess; a gate pivotally secured within each recess and having a flag secured thereto; a suitable cover having a tower thereon and arranged to cover the recesses and having slots therein directly above each recess and projecting into the tower, said slots being arranged to permit the passage of a flag from within the tower when one of the balls is rolled against the gate and into the indentation within the recess.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD G. CUSACK.

Witnesses:

BERNIOE MOORE, I JAMEs F. MCGUE.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

